Cultivating Integrity: Ethical Awareness and Responsibility in Social Justice Research

Integrity in social work research refers to a comprehensive set of ethical principles and standards that govern the conduct of researchers. It's a multifaceted concept that includes, but is not limited to, the following aspects: honesty, transparency, accountability, fairness, respect for participants, respect of research partners and collaborators, social responsibility, compliance to ethical standards, cultural sensitivity and competence, risk management, and methodological rigor.

The "Cultivating Integrity" roundtable seeks to foster a discussion of the decisions research teams and community partners make as they attempt to build and maintain relationship and trust with each other in service of doing socially responsible research. Anchoring our dialogue in a Participatory Research framework, this workshop aims to focus on strategies for maintaining authenticity and ensuring accountability when research objectives center community needs or aspirations, especially within marginalized contexts. We will discuss the complex interplay between funding imperatives, ethical research design, and navigating the choice to undertake social justice research amidst the pressures of academic achievement.

Our panel, comprised of academics, activists, and practitioners, will share their unique perspectives on relationship building, ethical dilemmas, and ways to promote accountability.

- Maria Torres, Sunny Maguire, and Jennie Kogan will discuss the genesis of their partnership focused on documenting the experiences of test-takers who took the ASWB licensing exam. They will share how Sunny and Jennie’s grassroots experiences emphasized the need for the research to echo the authenticity of community narratives about the exam and identity-based factors that historically impact performance.

- Dawn Belkin Martinez will discuss the transformative potential of community engagement in research, the ethical imperatives that guide her collaborations and research decisions, and the need for researchers to conceptualize the work beyond the specific research project to ongoing organizing and activism. She will also discuss her experience collaborating with community activist-led mental health crisis response that does not involve law enforcement.

- Linda Sprague Martinez will extend the dialogue to include strategies for navigating and overcoming the ethical challenges of conducting community-engaged research from academic institutions.

Together, we will embark on a 90-minute exploration into the intricacies of ethical dilemmas, discussing the balance between scientific rigor and social impact, the tension between researcher objectivity and advocacy, and the challenges in aligning research outcomes with social justice imperatives. We will delve into the role of reflexivity in research, pondering how self-awareness and critical engagement can serve as beacons for ethical decision-making.

The roundtable will culminate in an open forum, inviting the audience to share their own experiences and lessons learned. Our goal is not to prescribe but to co-create a repository of ethical considerations, stimulate critical thought, and forge a path forward for researchers striving to honor their social responsibility. Join us as we dissect the questions we grapple with as social work researchers and the steps we must deliberate upon as we continue our journey through the research process committed to addressing pressing social issues.

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